Monday, February 16, 2015

German Observations and such


Naturally, when you visit a country halfway across the planet you will notice many similarities and differences.  I have seen some fantastic things here in Mannheim, but have also experienced some culture shocks that took some getting used to. Let me begin:


o   Drink (mainly Beer) -  Germany's food and drink has surpassed all expectations. Let me first discuss the German staple- Beer (bier). In Germany there is a "Purity Law." Over 500 hundred years ago, Albert IV from Bavaria proclaimed that beer could only consist of "Water, malt, and hops." The integrity of the law has pretty much stood unaffected since then. (Yeast is the now the 4th and final ingredient). This makes the difference between beer in the US and beer in Germany HIGHLY noticeable. My first beer was so pure it almost had a fruity taste to it. That may sound weird but it was delicious. Every beer since then has reconfirmed to me that this is a spectacular law. Absolutely have to respect the foresight Albert the IV had on that decision.

The carbonation of the beer is also much different. German beer is much smoother and you do not feel as though your nose is going to pop when you drink it a little too fast. This might help when partaking in Das Boot.

Another very interesting aspect to the beverages here in Mannheim is that they are very inexpensive.  The average beer at a bar in the city is about 2 euro and maybe some change. But very cheap. To the point where it is equivalent (if not cheaper) to the cost of bottled water. I spoke with a German professor about this and he told me it is almost a problem how inexpensive it is because it could lead to higher consumption. But as a visitor with a budget, I have no complaints (yes, I ball on a fiscally responsible and feasible budget).  I have also purchased a 1.5L of a particular brand of Iced Tea three times now. The drink is .45 euro (with a .25 container fee). I could get used to prices like this.

(Below are some common German beers)


o   Food- The food also follows a similar pattern. Here in Germany, the people eat a lot of red meat. The carnivore section of the menu consists of about 90% red meat at the typical German restaurant. I really have no problem with this although you always hear how “White meat is so much healthier” or  “I’m a pescatarian! Red meat is yucky!” The second quote is directed toward my sisters.  But when I finally did have chicken out here, it was quite delightful to say the least.



o   Public Transit- The public transportation here in Mannheim (and in the region of Baden-Württemberg) is quite interesting. For one, it is very efficient. The trains show up on the dot and the buses arrive pretty much right on time, give or take a minute. The routes also cover a lot of ground. This is extremely convenient for me considering I live about an hour walk from the University.

      Another interesting thing about the bus and tram system is that they use the “honor system.” Bus drivers and tram operators will not ask you about a ticket when you enter. They just assume you are telling the truth and you aren’t a jerk. Every once in a while, Police (or some authoritative figure) will get on and ask a few people to show their tickets but this is rather uncommon. I have been riding for five weeks (yes, I have a ticket) and have not seen this happen. If you get caught riding ‘black’ then you will be subject to a 40 Euro fine. Never mind the embarrassment of being that typical American punk that some Europeans picture. Just don’t be that guy.

o   Cleanliness-   This has been one of the more shocking aspects of Mannheim so far. I had always heard that Europeans recycle, that they’re very eco-friendly, this and that. Maybe I was just thinking the habits of Sweden were consistent throughout the continent. To my surprise, this city has a decent amount of litter. I don’t know if Boston is very clean, or Mannheim is a little messy. I have personally seen people throwing cups and bottles in the streets during broad daylight, which I was pretty surprised to witness.

   I have also been quite surprised with the bathrooms. If you’re one of those “TMI” people, skip this paragraph. As I was saying, the bathrooms… The toilets are very weak. I have talked to multiple people who have agreed to this. Maybe the logic is “we save water!” but that is useless if flushing has to be done more than once. Also, I have only encountered ONE bathroom that had a window during my stay here. I find this quite unusual and this is probably adding to the gross vibe I get whenever I enter a restroom.

o   Smoking- I knew that smoking cigarettes was more common in Europe, but I did not realize how prevalent it really is. There is a part of the city known as Jungbusch and it is popular for its bars. In these bars, smoking is allowed. And people don’t hold back. I have set a pair of pants and a shirt aside for Jungbusch that I will most likely have to throw out after this trip because I will smell like the lungs of a 50 year cigarette addict if I continue to wear them.

   I recently went to a Mannheim Adlers hockey game. It was a lot of fun and the fans were DIE HARD. I’m from Boston and our city is known to have some serious fans, but these guys don’t even need music between whistles. Non-stop chants, songs for individual players, and of course the Adler anthem. Anyway, back to my story. I left the game at the end of the second period and noticed that when I was heading for the exit, a lot of other people were too. A LOT. When I got to the exit door I was given a little “Re-entry” ticket if you will. This was for the smokers. All 4 thousand of them. Maybe more. Each exit had a massive group of people omitting clouds of smoke in the air. It almost looked like a harbinger of some sort. Like, “Where do the Adlers play? Oh, just follow the four dark clouds oddly low to the Earth and you will be led to the SAP Arena.”

(Here is a picture of the re-entry ticket that was handed to me at the end of the 2nd period.)